The Special Session of the Legislature that convened on 28 November 2011 adjourned on 14 December 2011. No action was taken on any gun-related bills.

The 2012 Regular Session of the Legislature convenes on Monday, 9 January, for the Constitutionally-required 60 days (short session). At this time, it is scheduled to end no later than midnight, 8 March.

The legislative process is fairly simple. With some exceptions, it's a five step process:
1. A bill is assigned to a policy committee (usually Judiciary for gun bills) for consideration.
2. If it passes out of the policy committee, it goes to the chamber (House or Senate) floor for a vote.
3. If it passes the original chamber, it goes to the opposite chamber to a policy committee.
4. Again, if it passes the policy committee, it moves on to a floor vote.
5. If it passes out of both chambers, it goes to the governor for her signature, veto or partial veto.
Exceptions include bills that require fiscal action -- they go through additional fiscal committee hearings. And bills that are amended in the second chamber must be approved by the first chamber, or go to a conference committee to resolve differences.

Because the legislature works on a two-year (biennium) schedule, bills filed in 2011 that did not pass out of committee are still alive through the 2012 session and may receive action. For that reason I have listed all 2011 bills in the "Bill Status" section of the GOAL Post.

Recognizing that SHB 1923, signed by Governor Gregoire last year, requires successful passage of a NICS check as part of the CPL clearance process, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) approved Washington as a NICS alternative state. This means that anyone who possesses a CPL issued after 22 July 2011 is exempt from a NICS check. Unfortunately, achieving full NICS Alternative status is a two-step process. Now that ATF has agreed to waive the federal requirement for a background check for "new" CPL holders, state law must be changed to exempt the state requirement for a similar background check. A draft bill to accomplish this is being circulated as I write this.

Sadly the New Year unfolded with the murder of a Park Ranger at Mt. Rainier by an apparently deranged young man. A photo of the man was published in the Seattle times, with the multi-tattooed individual holding a MAC-10 and what appears to be a Saiga shotgun (AK-47 look-alike) across his bare chest. Coming at the beginning of the legislative session, this may move to the top of the gun control agenda. Previous attempts by the gun control lobby to pass an "assault weapon" ban have all ended in failure, starting in the 1990s and most recently a couple of years ago.

At this time two new firearm-related bills have been filed: HB 2137 by Rep. Brian Blake (D-19) would allow individuals to secure legally-possessed firearms in a locked vehicle while parked in their employers parking lot even when company policy prohibits weapons possession. HB 2202 by Rep. Dean Takko (D-19) would create a specialized license plate with the NRA logo and words "National Rifle Association." Funds generated by the account would go to the state Fish & Wildlife Commission to be used for hunter education.

A public hearing on HB 1508, Shooting range protection, by Rep. Dean Takko (D-19) will be conducted by the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, 12 January at 10 a.m. in House Hearing Room "A." Firearms safety should be at the top of everyone's agenda, gun owner and non-gun owner alike. A safe place for recreational shooting and a safe place to conduct firearms safety training serve society as a whole. HB 1508 would "grandfather" existing shooting ranges from new, restrictive ordinances. Range protections bills have been passed twice in the past 18 years, only to be vetoed by the governor.

A public hearing on SB 5697, state agency gun security devices by Senator Jim Hargrove (D-24) will be conducted by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday, 13Jjanuary at 1:30 p.m. in Senate Hearing Room 1. SB 5697 would require the Attorney General to establish minimum acceptable standards for firearm locking device(s) to be issued to anyone in the state who is armed by state or local government in the performance of his or her duties.

You can contact your elected legislators by several means. Links to legislative district information and legislators' telephone and e-mail addresses may be found at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx
Just type in your address and links to your State Senator and two State Representatives will be provided.

One of the first steps taken when the legislature convenes is adoption of a legislative cut-off calendar. These dates determine when a bill must pass out of its policy committee, or out of the originating chamber (House or Senate). The first policy committee cut-off will likely occur the first week in February. This calendar will be adopted on Monday or Tuesday, and it will be published in next week's GOAL Post.

BILL STATUS:

The following are ALL of the gun-related bills filed during the 2011 regular session. "Dead" bills may be revived in future sessions.

LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Toll free!!! The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993. Also toll free!!!

1-800-562-6000 TDD 1-800-635-9993

OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature's web site at "www.leg.wa.gov". Bills are available in Acrobat (.pdf) format. You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe's web site (http://www.adobe.com). You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573. Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000. You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need "RealAudio" to do this, available free at the TVW web site).

By reading the House and Senate "bill reports" (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the "roll call" for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill. The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is available, on line, to any citizen.

GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to "jwaldron@halcyon.com". Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at "jwaldron@halcyon.com" or by telephone at (425) 985-4867. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.

If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at "jwaldron@halcyon.com" with the words "Unsubscribe GOAL Post" in the subject line. I will remove your name immediately. Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists. If you received GP via a list, you must contact that list's admin to unsubscribe.

Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

Monroe 14-15 January
Puyallup 21-22 January

"The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men."

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